The White Elephants of Nassau

The Caribbean tax haven. A phenomenon that results in countries with more companies than residents and expatriate communities crying foul when the national government proposes a meagre income tax rate of 10%. The tactic does well to attract truly remarkable levels of foreign investment that remain isolated in islands of wealth: personal watercraft, luxury vehicles, high-end entertainment.

Being the destination of high amounts of untaxed capital, however, does not secure much in the way of local benefits. The absence of an income tax prevents a steady income for public services such as social welfare, health care, transportation initiatives, and education.

Abandoned retail space in the heart of Downtown NassauPhoto: 060509.004 by Adam Nowek

The viability of luxury spending has, unsurprisingly, taken a hit in recent years due to global financial uncertainty. What this has resulted in is the abandonment of various development projects in the island countries of the Caribbean.

Urban exploration next to an abandoned private beachPhoto: 101227.012 by Adam Nowek

This uncertainty is particularly visible in Nassau, the capital city of The Bahamas. As a country with a healthy per capita GDP, one would expect the city and its residents to weather the storm better than the city’s investments. Nonetheless, Nassau is plagued by vacancies and abandoned projects across the island. Nestled between the city’s colourful and vibrant homes are houses that have sat vacant for years due to waning interest.

Locked-up apartment complex at the southern side of New ProvidencePhoto: 100102.018 by Adam Nowek

While you would generally assume The Bahamas to be a tropical paradise (full disclosure: it absolutely is), it is a jarring ephemeral experience to see the abandoned dreams of development all over Nassau. From storefronts to mansions to apartment megacomplexes, here is a selection of photographs of Nassau’s empty buildings: the white elephants of Nassau.

The Bahamian sunset reflects from the broken windows of an abandoned mansionPhoto: 100102.004 by Adam Nowek

You can view all of Adam’s photography on his Flickr. View the full gallery of full-sized photographs in the gallery below.

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Adam is an urban journalist and photographer with an MSc in Urban Studies from the Universiteit van Amsterdam, where his thesis focussed on high-rise residential tower design trends. Adam has also been a contributing writer at Pop-Up City and This Big City, and edited Pop-Up City: City-Making in a Fluid World (BIS Publishers, 2014).

2 Comments

Potentially, but many of the abandoned projects are the result of (generally high-level) capital flight. Remember that the Bahamas is an attractive port of call not only for cruise ships, but for a largely tax-free economy. Of course, some of these images are located downtown or are signs of failed businesses, but the bulk of it are more peripheral luxury developments.

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